Do you consider your pet as a family member?

Growing up my family was owned by many pets. Yes, I mean we were owned!!! And yes I do feel that some of those animals were family members, especially the ones that were around along time. Each was morned as they passed and each had their own personality and beauty. All of them were adopted into the family somehow or another.

Yes, I have two cats now. They are my family. The two cats are both female and spayed. They are indoor cats and they don't run around outside. They live with me and they are my family. One of the cats is ten years old, the other is five. They are very comforting and I really enjoy them a lot. The five year old cat came recently and the two don't get along too well, so they keep themselves separated most of the time from each other. Their names are Bessie (ten) and Sasha (five).

Until recently, I had dogs and cats in my family since I was a very young boy. They were all family members. My last pet was a cat and she died at age 15. Just prior to her death, I had 2 dogs that died at age 16. They died just over a year from each other. They all were treated like family members. They lived long because they had a great life. I would love to have another pet now but I can't afford to keep a pet in this economy, but if I could, it would be just like another grandchild. It hurts when you lose them just like any other family member and it takes a long time to heal the wound in your heart. You know for sure that it was part of the family when they are gone.

I personally consider my dog a member of my family. He has to follow slightly different rules than the rest of us, but that is due to the fact that he is a different species than us, but he is my best friend and I can talk to him when I have no one else to go to. He also has a wonderful personality. I think of my dog as a little brother to me and I love him dearly.

I myself have grown up with pets. Mostly dogs, but we have had a few hamsters, guinea pigs and fish. It is very sad when they get sick and pass away, It is especially hard when they are sick and you have to make that "Big Decision" whether to put the animal to sleep or not. Have you ever had to make that decision?

My pet IS a member of my family. She is a black and white stripded kitty and her name is Honeybee. She spends her days snuggled up on her little blanket on a love seat in my living room or on her blanket on my bed. She talks to me when she wants some special attention or if she thinks I need to jiggle her food dish a little so food is more readily accessible. She is an inside/outside kitty so I have NO messes to clean up...her choice. She goes out for an hour or two and comes back to the door and waits to be let in again.

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